Joshua 11
with Yair Davidiy


[Joshua 11:1] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JABIN KING OF HAZOR HAD HEARD THOSE
THINGS, THAT HE SENT TO JOBAB KING OF MADON, AND TO THE KING OF SHIMRON,
AND TO THE KING OF ACHSHAPH,

The Israelites had just received the allegiance of the Gibeonites and their
satellites and consequently defeated an alliance of all the major Canaanite
kingdoms in the south. The northern kingdoms of Canaan now decided that it
was time to meet up with the Israelites before the Israelites met them. 
These were mainly populous advanced polities.  The Canaanites were

systematic perverts who engaged in human sacrifice. They built large cities
with thick well defended walls and had high artistic standards. Much of
what we admire today about Greek civilization was derived from Ancient
Canaan and from Israel. This includes nearly all of the mythology and at
least part of its philosophy as well as a good section of its very
language, according to Martin Bernal, Shmuel James, Israel Weil, and others
who have studied the subject and are familiar with both Hebrew and Greek.
Some of the ancient Greek cities, such as Thebes (and maybe Sparta) were
actually founded by Phoenicians. The Pelasgians who founded Athens and were
also important in ANCIENT GREEK history belonged partially to the same
stock as the Philistines. Greek Philosophy was very important in the
conceptual development of Western Civilization. Poliakov says that the
three foundations of Anglo-Saxon tradition and political-philosophical  thought are
 (1) Ancient Greece;    (2) the Germanic
Tribal Traditions; and   (3) an Identification with Ancient Israel.

[Joshua 11:2] AND TO THE KINGS THAT WERE ON THE NORTH OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND
OF THE PLAINS SOUTH OF CHINNEROTH, AND IN THE VALLEY, AND IN THE BORDERS OF
DOR ON THE WEST,

[Joshua 11:3] AND TO THE CANAANITE ON THE EAST AND ON THE WEST, AND TO THE
AMORITE, AND THE HITTITE, AND THE PERIZZITE, AND THE JEBUSITE IN THE
MOUNTAINS, AND TO THE HIVITE UNDER HERMON IN THE LAND OF MIZPEH.

<<IN THE LAND OF MIZPEH>>:  Daat Mikra opines that this  all the region to
the north that is recalled later, FROM  BAALGAD UNDER MOUNT HERMON UNTO THE
ENTERING INTO HAMATH(Joshua 13:5).

[Joshua 11:4] AND THEY WENT OUT, THEY AND ALL THEIR HOSTS WITH THEM, MUCH
PEOPLE, EVEN  AS THE SAND THAT IS UPON THE SEA SHORE IN MULTITUDE, WITH
HORSES AND CHARIOTS VERY  MANY.

[Joshua 11:5] AND WHEN ALL THESE KINGS WERE MET TOGETHER, THEY CAME AND
PITCHED TOGETHER AT THE WATERS OF MEROM, TO FIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL.

[Joshua 11:6] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA, BE NOT AFRAID BECAUSE OF THEM:
FOR TO MORROW ABOUT THIS TIME WILL I DELIVER THEM UP ALL SLAIN BEFORE
ISRAEL: THOU SHALT HOUGH  THEIR HORSES, AND BURN THEIR CHARIOTS WITH FIRE.

<<THOU SHALT HOUGH THEIR HORSES>>: This expression occurs several times in
Scripture. I understand it to mean cutting off the hooves but I may be
mistaken. Also, I do not understand the logic behind it.

Answers from readers to 'What does "HOUGH  THEIR HORSES" mean?'
=============================================================
1. David Ben-Ariel explained:
I grew up on our family farm for the first 11 years of my life, blessed to
be in beautiful Risingsun, Ohio, and I understand houghing their horses is
actually more like severing their tendons near their hooves so they're
rendered USELESS as war horses. It's permanently "flattening their tires."
=============================================================
2. From: Aram Paquin
Subject: "THOU SHALT HOUGH  THEIR HORSES"
"THOU SHALT HOUGH  THEIR HORSES"
A common tactic, in the past, when foot soldiers joined in combat against
mounted cavalry or wheeled war vehicles.
It consists of severing the hind hamsting(s) of horses.  This dismounted
the rider or charioteer putting him at a distinct disadvantage since he was
armed & trained to fight cavalry fashion not as infantry.  I believe this
tactic was used as late as WWI.
 RE: giants in those days.
Several fossils of a giant creature have been found in China.  Scientists
are divided on the species to which it belonged, some claiming human
origins; others identifying it as a giant ape closely resembling modern gorillas.
Aram
=================================================================
3. Houghing the horses
Severing the tendons, or hamstringing, destroys the horse's ability to run
fast which is paramount in war.
Zion
=================================================================
4. From: Herb Frizzell
Subject: Re: Joshua 11
Yair:
In my reading over the years I have come across some comments on the
"houghing" of horses in reference to your comment below:
[Joshua 11:6] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA, BE NOT AFRAID BECAUSE OF THEM:
FOR TO MORROW ABOUT THIS TIME WILL I DELIVER THEM UP ALL SLAIN BEFORE
ISRAEL: THOU SHALT HOUGH  THEIR HORSES, AND BURN THEIR CHARIOTS WITH FIRE.
<<THOU SHALT HOUGH  THEIR HORSES>>: This expression occurs several times in
Scripture. I understand it to mean cutting off the hooves but I may be
mistaken. Also, I do not understand the logic behind it."""
 I don't remember the source - but the source said that the "houghing" of
horses involved the cutting of the main tendon in their back legs (like our
Achilles tendon that carries the most stress and load under hard use) so the
horses would live but never again able to be used as chariot horses for war;
but they could still be taken as booty and as "spoils of war" and not have
to be outright killed and wasted as a resource.  Therefore these horses
would become no longer valuable for war purposes (since they were already
highly trained for chariot pulling and, if recaptured by the enemy, these
horses could be reused for war - and these horses were trained to do various
things: stop quickly, make a circle to pick up fallen charioteers, and have
the charioteer walk on the tongue of the rigging, while, if necessary, the
charioteer could even mount and ride one (or both) of the horses if the
chariot was damaged, so as to cut loose a damaged chariot), but these
war-bootly horses could still be used for breeding stock, for riding by
individuals, for light work around the farms, and eventually be sent to the
"glue factory", etc.
Herb in Texas
================================================================
5. Betty Rhodes
Subject: Re: Joshua 11
Re: hough the horses:
hough to hamstring, i.e., sever the "tendon of Achilles" of the hinder legs
of captured horses (Josh. 11:6; 2 Sam. 8:4; 1 Chr. 18:4), so as to render them useless.
================================================================

[Joshua 11:7] SO JOSHUA CAME, AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF WAR WITH HIM, AGAINST
THEM BY THE   WATERS OF MEROM SUDDENLY; AND THEY FELL UPON THEM.

[Joshua 11:8] AND THE LORD DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HAND OF ISRAEL, WHO
SMOTE THEM,   AND CHASED THEM UNTO GREAT ZIDON, AND UNTO MISREPHOTHMAIM,
AND UNTO THE VALLEY OF   MIZPEH EASTWARD; AND THEY SMOTE THEM, UNTIL THEY
LEFT THEM NONE REMAINING.

<<UNTO GREAT ZIDON>>: Also known in the West as Sidon.  It was the major
city of the Phoenicians who were basically at that time Northern Canaanites.

[Joshua 11:9] AND JOSHUA DID UNTO THEM AS THE LORD BADE HIM: HE HOUGHED
THEIR   HORSES, AND BURNT THEIR CHARIOTS WITH FIRE.

[Joshua 11:10] AND JOSHUA AT THAT TIME TURNED BACK, AND TOOK HAZOR, AND
SMOTE THE  KING THEREOF WITH THE SWORD: FOR HAZOR BEFORETIME WAS THE HEAD
OF ALL THOSE KINGDOMS.

The site of Hazor (Hatsor) has been excavated. Hazor was a major city and
dominated other districts. It is spoken of in ancient documents from other sites.

[Joshua 11:11] AND THEY SMOTE ALL THE SOULS THAT WERE THEREIN WITH THE EDGE
OF THE  SWORD, UTTERLY DESTROYING THEM: THERE WAS NOT ANY LEFT TO BREATHE:
AND HE BURNT HAZOR WITH FIRE.

[Joshua 11:12] AND ALL THE CITIES OF THOSE KINGS, AND ALL THE KINGS OF
THEM, DID JOSHUA TAKE, AND SMOTE THEM WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, AND HE
UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM, AS MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD COMMANDED.

[Joshua 11:13] BUT AS FOR THE CITIES THAT STOOD STILL IN THEIR STRENGTH,
ISRAEL BURNED NONE OF THEM, SAVE HAZOR ONLY; THAT DID JOSHUA BURN.

[Joshua 11:14] AND ALL THE SPOIL OF THESE CITIES, AND THE CATTLE, THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TOOK FOR A PREY UNTO THEMSELVES; BUT EVERY MAN THEY
SMOTE WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, UNTIL THEY HAD DESTROYED THEM, NEITHER
LEFT THEY ANY TO BREATHE.

[Joshua 11:15] AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES HIS SERVANT, SO DID MOSES
COMMAND JOSHUA, AND SO DID JOSHUA; HE LEFT NOTHING UNDONE OF ALL THAT THE
LORD COMMANDED  MOSES.

[Joshua 11:16] SO JOSHUA TOOK ALL THAT LAND, THE HILLS, AND ALL THE SOUTH
COUNTRY, AND ALL THE LAND OF GOSHEN, AND THE VALLEY, AND THE PLAIN, AND THE
MOUNTAIN OF ISRAEL, AND THE VALLEY OF THE SAME;

<<ALL THE LAND OF GOSHEN>>: Goshen included the eastern section of the Nile
Valley as well as a portion of southern Israel.

[Joshua 11:17] EVEN FROM THE MOUNT HALAK, THAT GOETH UP TO SEIR, EVEN UNTO
BAALGAD IN  THE VALLEY OF LEBANON UNDER MOUNT HERMON: AND ALL THEIR KINGS
HE TOOK, AND SMOTE  THEM, AND SLEW THEM.

[Joshua 11:18] JOSHUA MADE WAR A LONG TIME WITH ALL THOSE KINGS.

[Joshua 11:19] THERE WAS NOT A CITY THAT MADE PEACE WITH THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL, SAVE THE HIVITES THE INHABITANTS OF GIBEON: ALL OTHER THEY TOOK IN BATTLE.

[Joshua 11:20] FOR IT WAS OF THE LORD TO HARDEN THEIR HEARTS, THAT THEY
SHOULD COME  AGAINST ISRAEL IN BATTLE, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THEM UTTERLY,
AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE NO  FAVOUR, BUT THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THEM, AS THE
LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

Maybe this is why the Arabs and Palestinians and others cannot make peace
with the Jews? Maybe their evil nature is pushing them in the path of their
own destruction. The question remains how long will the Jews go on letting
themselves be victimized and only retaliating in a limited fashion whenever
innocent citizens of Israel are killed?  How long should one hold back when
a dog with rabies keeps coming for you and biting you no matter how often you hit him?

[Joshua 11:21] AND AT THAT TIME CAME JOSHUA, AND CUT OFF THE ANAKIMS FROM
THE  MOUNTAINS, FROM HEBRON, FROM DEBIR, FROM ANAB, AND FROM ALL THE
MOUNTAINS OF JUDAH,   AND FROM ALL THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL: JOSHUA
DESTROYED THEM UTTERLY WITH THEIR CITIES.

[Joshua 11:22] THERE WAS NONE OF THE ANAKIMS LEFT IN THE LAND OF THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: ONLY IN GAZA, IN GATH, AND IN ASHDOD, THERE REMAINED.

<<ANAKIMS>>: These were giants. Did giants exist? Yes. It is admitted that
monkeys more than 18 feet tall once existed and if monkeys could reach that
height so could humans.

UFOs do not exist. All phenomena can be explained by natural occurrences or
by secret flying missiles of military importance. Also much of UFO
propaganda depends on a pagan mind set and the insinuation of pagan notions.

The following web-site is part of the UFO hoax but it does provide
information about giants at least some of which is probably correct.

http://www.bibleufo.com/humanphenom90.htm

Extracts:

Giants in History, Myth, and Legend

Australia

    Bathurst
In fossil in the 1930's deposits found around Bathurst from a depth of 6
feet below the surface a fossil lower back molae tooth was found. The owner
would have been at least 25 ft. tall. Also found were huge stone artifacts
-- clubs, pounders, adzes, chisels, knives and hand axes all of tremendous
weight, scattered over a wide area weighing from 8 to 25 pounds, implements
which only men of tremendous proportions could possibly have made and used.
Estimates for the actual size of these men range from 10 to 12 feet tall
and over, weighing from 500 to 600 lbs.

    Gympie
At Gympie, Queensland, a large fragment of the back portion of a jaw which
still possessed the hollow for a missing lower back molar tooth was
discovered. The owner of the tooth would have stood at 10 feet tall.

    Blue Mountain
In the Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains NSW, a depression found in
ironstone protruding from a creek bank was the deeply impressed print of a
large human-like foot. This footprint measures 7 inches across the toes.
Had the footprint been complete it would have been at least 2 feet in
length, appropriate to a 12 foot human. The largest footprint found on the
Blue Mountains must have belonged to a man 20 feet tall!

    Mulgoa
A set of 3 huge footprints was discovered near Mulgoa, south of Penrith,
N.S.W. The prints, each measuring 2 ft 7 inches across the toes, are 6 ft.
apart, indicating the stride of the 12 ft. giant who left them.

    Macleay River
Noel Reeves found near Kempsey, N.S.W. monstrous footprints were discovered
in sandstone beds on the Upper Macleay River. One print shows toe 4 inches
long and the total toe-span is 10 inches suggesting that the owner of the
print may have been 17 feet tall.

    Aborigine
Aborigine themselves admit in their ancient folklore that this land was
inhabited by several groups of men, as well as giants, before they settled
here.

Austria

    Aymon
Aymon, a member of the Archduke Ferdinand's bodyguard, reportedly stood
eleven feet tall. For many years a carved wooden likeness of this giant was
preserved in the Castle of Ambras in the Tyrol Alpines.

    Josef Winkelmaier
An Austrian named Josef Winkelmaier was exhibited in London on January
10,1887 who claimed a height of eight feet nine inches.

Bavaria

Belgium

    Flanders' Giants
In his Origines Antwerpianoe, 1569, and De Gigantomachia, royal physician
Johannes Goropius Becanus reports that a youth almost nine feet tall and a
woman about ten feet tall lived near his home in Flanders.


Chile
    From account of Captain George Shelvock's 1719 voyage: "M. Frezier
gives us an account that the Indians inhabiting the continent to the south
of this island (the island of Chiloe, which lies off the coast of Chile,
about lat. 42 S. and long. about 72 W of London) are called Chronos, that
they go quite naked, and that in the inland part there is a race of men of
an extraordinary size, called Cacabues, who, being in amity with the
Chronos, have sometimes come with them to the dwellings of the Spaniards at
Chiloe. He adds, that he was credibly informed by several who had been eye
witnesses, that some were about nine or ten feet high.

China
    The Chinese, in whose land archaeologists have found some of the
earliest skeletal remains of giants, insist they once had among them some
men as much as fifteen feet tall.

    Peking Giants
Melchior Nunnez, in his letters from India, vouches for the fact that China
grew some giants to that tremendous size. He "speaks of porters who guarded
the gates of Peking who were of that immense height; and in a letter dated
in 1555, he avers that the emperor of that country entertained and fed five
hundred of such men for archers of his guard." George Hakewill, in his
Apologie, 1627, issues a similar report

    Chang Woo Gow
The Chinese giant Chang Woo Gow showed himself in England in 1865 at the
old Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly. A courtly gentleman and able scholar, he
was invited to visit the Prince and Princess of Wales. He stood eight feet
two inches. He was not the tallest in his family, however, for one sister
measured eight feet four inches.

    Chinese Colossus
Purchaas, in his Pilgrimes, 1625, says that while he was in China he saw a
man who "was cloathed with a tyger's skin, the hayre outward, his armes,
head, and legges bare, with a rude pole in his hand; well-shaped, seeming
ten palmes or spans long, his hayre hanging on his shoulders."

Cornwall

             Cornwall was known as the Land of the Giants. The Cornish
giants were a six-toed, six-fingered race, some known to be gentle.
    Cormoran and his blind wife Cormelian lived on St Michael's Mount.
    Holiburn of Carn Galva protected the people of Morvah and Zennor.
    Denbras lived in the Towednack hills.
    Myen du lived at Maen Castle near Land's End.
    Dynas, a deaf and dumb giant Treryn, lived in the stronghold of Dinas.
    Bolster lived in Beacon.
    Jack the Tinkeard or Jack of the Hammer, perhaps the original
giant-killer, found his fame here.

    Antony Payne
By the time the Cornish giant Antony Payne reached his twenty-first
birthday he already stood seven feet two inches. After his father, a tenant
farmer at Stratton, "attached" him to the house of Sir Beville Granville of
Stowe, his landlord, Tony grew two more inches. For all his size and bulk,
the witty Payne showed no signs of clumsiness, but awed everyone with his
dexterity and very quick reflexes. They also say he had the brains to match
the brawn that had thrust him into the role of a mighty man.

    Tregoney Giant
While working in a new tin mine at Tregoney-on-Fal, in Cornwall, reports
the Annual Register for 1761, a miner discovered a stone coffin on which
some unrecognizable characters were inscribed. Inside the ancient
eleven-foot-three-inch casket he saw the gigantic skeleton of a man, which,
when exposed to the air, crumbled to dust-except for one tooth, which
measured two and one-half inches in length.



[Joshua 11:23] SO JOSHUA TOOK THE WHOLE LAND, ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THE
LORD SAID  UNTO MOSES; AND JOSHUA GAVE IT FOR AN INHERITANCE UNTO ISRAEL
ACCORDING TO THEIR  DIVISIONS BY THEIR TRIBES. AND THE LAND RESTED FROM WAR.

The Brit-Am scenario says that the Israelites conquered all the land in all
its borders but did not drive out most of the inhabitants, as we shall see.
They then divided the land amongst the tribes who took possession of it
spreading out throughout all its extent. Later they would periodically
loose partial control of large sections of the Land due to the local
inhabitants reasserting themselves along with foreign invasions. They would
often regain possession of what they had lost but a result of this process
over centuries was a weakening of the common denominators that united them.
At all events we have evidence that Israelite Tribal clans were to be found
far to the north  while foreigners occupied part of the region between them
and the rest of the Tribes.

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